Lost
by schrijver
Summary: On a winter night, a thief tries to assault Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium. To her lucky, Mr. Todd is there to save the day. However, still frightened, the baker decides to purchase a gun to protect herself and her adopted son from future enemies. She never thought of them as a judge and his beadle, though… (Sorry for any grammatical errors).
1. There was a thief and his knife

Paul Thompson considered himself as the smartest thief throughout all London. Throughout all England, in fact, no need to be modest. That's because he was very good on what he did, he was the best of all.

He was never afraid of cheating in any type of card game. Shrewd, he was. He diverted the eyes from spectators and players. In the end, he always came out winning. Of course, he had been caught a few times, but nothing that a good bribe couldn't solve. Guards were always his favourite targets for this type of bargaining.

Smiling, he was also a handsome man, a girl's dream. With a pretty smart chat, he would win a few hearts and wouldn't take thirty days to get little virgins to his bed on a hotel. The next day, he was gone without being noticed.

He never used his real name, always presenting himself in different ways. His name was Paul Thompson now, but the baptism one he barely remembered. He was in this type of business since he was just a street boy. Adopted by an illusionist from a Russian circus passing through the town, the boy learned so fast it took one month to steal all the circus belongings, and then disappeared.

With these hard times, Paul knew it would be more complicated getting money. It didn't make him lost his charm, though. Bohemian - and already sick due to the cold of the northern hemisphere - Paul did not hesitate to spare his earnings. He was too arrogant and narcissistic for that. He enjoyed staying at the best hotels, loved good drinks and insisted on paying for the best women. Brothels were by far his favourite places. The love of a special someone – women – was what he had always needed; even thought he was paying for it and the women being just sluts of the night.

It was during one of those nights that he signed his death sentence.

"Who's that over there?"

The girl was beautiful. Brunette and with eyes as green as the most beautiful emeralds, the woman was selling her body without any shame, wearing almost nothing, showing her large breasts and wide smile. She was expensive, but Paul never asked the price. He slept with her and took all she had to offer.

Satisfied, he ended up passing out, only waking up the next day.

His awakening, however, was not pleasant.

Unlucky for him, the woman was the favourite of a dangerous judge named Turpin that, accompanied by his beadle, ordered the death of our dear thief. Paul, trembling with fear, tried to patch his situation.

"What if I pay for her?" He proposed. "Surely my mistake must have a price, is not it, my lord?"

The Judge, as Paul had thought, was a businessman and such proposal, despite being very sentimental, was acceptable, even so unfortunately far beyond Paul's possessions. Turpin gave him a period of two days to pay his debt and the thief left the brothel in two seconds.

Walking down the streets, Paul knew he wouldn't arrange the money in broad daylight. He thought about assaulting a bank, but was startled to witness a bank robbery attempt. The guards almost killed the bandits, who apparently were too inexperienced to be called "bandits".

Laughing, Paul had formed his idea. A well done assault on a not well protected place would be the perfect choice. He would have all the money he needed in just one night.

He then sought a more vulnerable place to rob. Maybe a shop, anywhere that sells food and drinks. It was true that such a place with such characteristics should gain per day towers of gold capable of killing Paul's debt in a sec.

With this in mind, the con man walked down the streets looking for a victim.

Soon a woman got his eyes. She was accompanied by a boy, most probably her son, and by the colour of her dress – dark blue – Paul was sure she was a widow, in other words, no man to protect her!

Paul then followed her through the streets covered with snow, cold December almost breaking his bones.

"Come on, dear, we have to get home quickly!"

Her voice was almost angelical to Paul's ears. Surely he had to meet this woman and seduce her! So, completely forgetting about his debt with the judge, Paul followed the woman with red hair and extremely pale skin.

His eyes widened, however, when he saw where she lived. And he laughed so loudly that some people passing nearby looked at him thinking he was crazy, but he did not mind.

Ha! The woman was nothing less than the owner of meat pies shop.

The best of London!

Surely she should win a small fortune every day and Paul knew how to rob the place.

He waited for night to come and put simple, lightweight clothing. At midnight, he had knife and a cloth with alcohol in his pocket. Hooded, Paul walked silently to the property. The back door was easily opened and he soon entered the kitchen. The money had to be somewhere well hidden place, probably the owner's room.

Smiling, Paul adventured himself by the house finding out it had only two bedrooms. The woman's should be the biggest of all.

But she wasn't there.

"Where is she then?"

She was at her son's bedroom, singing him to sleep. After a few minutes, she too had fallen asleep beside him, hugging him by his waist. Paul watched the scene from the door and for a brief moment, he envied the boy, because he had been lucky enough to have an amazing mother like the baker, someone to sing to him.

Sighing, Paul decided to leave them alone for now. He returned the woman's bedroom and quickly began searching the money. Found a wooden box under a loose board on the wooden floor. Almost laughing, the bandit opened it and pulled out all the money from there. It was not enough for him to pay the debt, but it was a beginning. Satisfied for now, he decided to rest. Maybe some gin would help…

The pantry was full of drinks!

* * *

Tobias Ragg had known the meaning of nightmares since he realized he was someone in this world. Since the orphanage where he had been abandoned to the factory where he was forced to work for eighteen hours straight without rest or some sort of food, the boy was familiar to these dreams full of such frightening situations. When he was smaller, his fears were restricted to the fear of being alone in the dark, the fear of get a beating, and the fear of having his arms burned by cigars butts.

As a result of so much disrespect and lack of love, Tobias found in alcohol a relief, perhaps a salvation. He drank every day and consequently had stronger hangovers than the other boys. Gin always eased the pain, but after a while he was getting so thin and weak that no longer could work.

Eight years old and he found himself living on the streets. His weak body starved for food and for some alcohol. He was labelled as crazy and disgusting, the filthy boy from the streets. Many times he became angry for so many injustices and came to scream at older people who just gave him a beating.

It was amid these beatings he found a barber with a fake Italian accent. Signor Pirelli offered him used clothes and a bottle of gin per week in exchange for his services. Tobias then took passion for razors and secretly wanted to be a barber himself. So innocent and traumatized the way he was, Tobias never told his boss of his dreams, fearing being fired by him. He accepted whatever the barber asked him to do, even self-punishment. His fingers blended profusely when he had to help his boss to sharp his razors, but Tobias had his gin, so he didn't complain. The gin healed everything, even the strong smell of Signor Pirelli's Miracle Elixir.

Thank heavens he got rid of the man and found a woman who offered him what he never thought he would have: mother's love. Eleanor Lovett was her name and Tobias had fallen for her. It was the love of a son for his mother, though. She was pretty and liked to sing along with him. Kindly, she also gave him clean clothes, three meals a day and a bedroom! But, like every mother, she had her rules, like a bath a day and the end of his gin addiction. The bath was not a problem, but the boy still had difficulties to stop drinking. However, for the fear of losing what he had, he agreed with his mom's terms, after all, he loved her very much. In return for his obedience, she would sing him lullabies every time he asked her, and allowed him to sleep in her bed every time he had a nightmare.

Tobias never slept so happily in his life, for the first time he could close his eyes and listen to a soft voice singing him about a world where there was no pain or distress. His love for his mom grew even more and he swore to protect her from everything and everyone, even from the man she was clearly in love with. The boy was glad that Mr. Todd got rid of Signor Pirelli, he owed the barber the great life he had now, but there is no way he would allow the man to play with his dear mother's heart.

So he was an attentive boy. Always paying attention to what other people say, what they do and, for sure, to what the barber and the baker did. He knew they shared a secret, and would find a way to find out what's going on.

But, for now, when he couldn't even wonder what that two stubborn adults where hiding, he would pay attention to the safety of his mom. So, when he heard a noise coming from the back door of the house, he got up from his bed silently, trying no to wake up his mother. Tobias had had a nightmare that night and woke up screaming. His mom came quickly and hugged him, telling him that everything was okay. He then asked her to sing to him and she agreed. Minutes later, both were asleep; Tobias simply loved his mom's warm hugs and she seemed to adore having him in her arms.

The poor woman, however, was fast asleep, not paying attention to what was happening around her.

With a small knife in hand, Tobias went out of his room in silence and walked to the living room. Misfortune he knew it was when he was surprised by the thief who, holding him from behind, tried to cut his neck. The boy, smarter than that, bit the man's arm, making him very angry.

"You stupid bastard!"

Tobias gulped, knowing he had no chance against the thief. Before the thief could do something against him, the boy did what was convenient for him.

He opened his mouth and shouted:

"HELP!"

* * *

It was a full moon night, typically cold when talking about a place like London. There was no more beautiful place, right? Some may disagree, but they could not deny the city had its beauty.

Unfortunately, there are more bad things than good ones considering the large colonial capital of England, the queen of the seas. Just like Paris, capital of France – also biggest England's enemy – London suffered with sadness that revolution and inventions brought by the new times. Hunger, poverty and lack of hope reigned into the icy streets of the city filled with the smoke coming from the newly built factories' machines.

Children, hungry and disillusioned, worked day and night without rest, many of them unfortunately died before their eleventh anniversary. If they survived, boys become thieves and girls become whores.

Mr. Todd could not wait to leave such a place. Yes, the sea was not his favourite place to live, but if it was to stay away from that city - full of sad memories around every corner - the barber would make an effort.

It had not been long since his landlady, Mrs. Lovett, had proposed him a life with her. He never thought of actually accepting - or even considering - the idea, but after reflecting much, he found himself wondering how a life with her would feel like.

And it would not be that bad, uh? Not like he remembered, not like she dreamed, but they could get by. There was no way of getting away from her; after all, as childhood friends, both were also partners in crime. As much as Mr. Todd struggled to admit, there was no person in the world who could understand (and love) him more than the woman probably asleep downstairs.

Sighing, he tried to sleep, for the first time since arriving in London, about five months ago. The bed was ridiculously comfortable, and that, he knew, was thanks to his landlady. He made a mental note to thank her properly the next morning. The woman was - without a shadow of a doubt - a great housewife.

He still did not know if they would get involved romantically, though. They could - being very, very optimist - consider themselves as friends, but the barber was not sure if he could ever look at her differently. Mrs. Eleanor Lovett was a wonder, eminently practical and yet appropriate as always. She was also a beauty, no way to deny, and extremely eccentric, but he didn't see that as a bad thing. He couldn't see her otherwise.

Now, love her, well, you know, that was another story. After so many years, he no longer sees himself as a husband and he knew the baker deserved a proper husband. Love was a strange thing to him now. He didn't even think he would love his late wife, not after knowing for sure that she had abandoned their daughter alone in a world with people like Judge Turpin. He hated her for weeks and then felt sorry. He felt helpless, after so many years, he blamed himself for being weak and naive, unable to defend his family, his beloved wife and their precious daughter. Both were lost forever and he knew who should pay for it.

He huffed just at the thought that the judge was fucking around, at some brothel or bar, drinking and laughing, happy with the life he had. The bastard barely knew what to expect. Mr. Todd would get him and kill him without mercy, thus freeing we all of one of the worst vermin that had ever breathed some air in Earth.

Rising from his bed, the barber – on his pyjamas - passed through the door of his small room and spotted his barber chair. Smiling slightly, he took one of his razors from his pocket - yes, he never walked unarmed - and sat down in the chair. He stared at the silver razor, now illuminated by the moonlight, and wondered how judge's precious rubies would preciously slide through the polished silver of his dear friends.

Ah, it would be too beautiful, a piece of art, indeed!

Mr. Todd laughed lightly and relaxed in his chair. Strange how it seemed to be more comfortable for his back than the fluffy and clean sheets of his bed. He knew the reason. Years and years sleeping on the stone floor of his prison cell made him get used to sleeping in uncomfortable places.

He sighed, feeling tired. He closed his razor and held it near his chest. Closing his eyes, he tried to stop thinking.

Soon he heard a scream coming from downstairs.

"HELP!"

He grunted and swore to kill the vermin that dared to harm his allies.

* * *

Paul thought he would have no problem with a simple assault. But he had to drink gin? Drinks were his candour, always making him spend more than he should at parties. However, owner of the house had refined taste for drinks and her pantry was the best he had seen in a long time. Without contain himself Paul decided he had to have a taste.

He drank one, two, three glasses, until he feel dizzy and suddenly tired. He sat on the couch and dropped the bag of money in an armchair in front of him. He sighed and leaned his back against the soft mobile, smiling slightly.

His senses, still as good as ever, made his eyes immediately widen as he heard a door being opened and closed with care. Already with his knife in hand - and completely forgetting about the money - Paul got up and hid behind the door, waiting for his victim to arrive.

Seeing the boy, he took him by surprise and held his neck. Soon gave up the thought about picking up the cloth with alcohol in his pocket, since the boy struggled a lot.

Kill him would be easier. To his misfortune, the boy was stronger and faster than he ever could wonder and bit his right arm, causing Paul to scream. Staring at his arm and seeing the teeth marks, Paul growled angrily:

"Your stupid bastard!"

He held the knife more firmly in his hand. He wasn't expecting the boy to cry loudly:

"HELP!"

Paul swore and threw the boy against the wall. Kill him would not be a problem and his mother, well, he would use her as he preferred and kill her.

He didn't think he would end up as the victim of his own stupidity ad cruelty. When trying to hit the boy, he felt a kick on his shin and pulled away from him. Paul cursed him and pulled him by his short and brown hair, causing the boy to scream in pain.

To the hell if the landlady heard them! She was a woman! It would be easy to kill her!

Angrily, Paul punched the boy in the face two times and in the stomach. He then heard a gasp and looked up. He saw the woman there in front of him, witnessing everything. He stopped for a second, drinking all her beauty, even though she was as pale as a ghost. Paul then smirked and dropped the boy on the floor.

"Be good and it will not hurt too much."

There was no time to take the first step. He felt hands holding his hood and a cold blade against his neck. The pain was quick and his blood was anywhere to be seen. His legs failed him and his face hit the ground hard.

It was the end of the young jewel thief.

* * *

_A/N: So, what do you think? Bad? Good? Please, let me know what you are thinking! Review!_


	2. There was also a girl who now cries

Mrs. Lovett felt as her heart was stabbed by a razor. Torn, trampled, cut numerous of times without mercy. It seemed that her chest would explode, she could hardly move. It was as if everything had stopped, as if time did not want to walk anymore, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Her son was lying on the ground and that's it. She saw the blood trickling down his face, now paler than ever.

"Toby..." His name came out in a faint sigh, and she was surprised to be able to have had the strength to say anything, even being so useless now. Until then she could feel her own face being wet by the salt water from her eyes. It was not possible that one of her biggest nightmares had came true... again... As if it wasn't enough not having the love of the barber… Nights she spent awake, spinning and rolling in her big bed, always so cold and empty, headache caused by the gin and the bad memories driving her mad. Always the same disturbing nightmares. Nothing new, no, far from it, she was used to feel tormented by frightening images passing before her eyes all the time. It was ironic how her songs used to scare away her little boy's nightmares, when she herself could only sleep by having him in her arms. Her songs also used to silence baby Johanna's cries, but the baker rather not think about those years with the girl, because it was too painful to know that she would never see her little girl again. Fools were those children she loved as they were her own. If only they knew how much she would give just to have them back in her arms, and that such an act would make her forget the problems, allowing her to dream, making her feel entitled to feel hope.

"Toby..."

She felt a lump in her throat and found an abnormal strength to move her legs, wobbly now, and ran up the boy. Fell by his side, bringing him close and stroking his face.

"Toby." Her vision blurred and she closed her eyes, hugging the boy tightly. Started kissing his hair and froze when she felt something warm trickle down her neck.

Blood.

She swallowed and tried to think of something. She could hear his heart and would do anything to keep it like this, beating. She looked around and saw Mr. Todd. He knelt near the thief's body. He frowned for a second, his fingers touching the skin of the man's neck, making sure he was dead. Even if a deep cut like that would not leave room for survivors, it was necessary to ensure that they would have no more problems.

"He's dead." He mumbled and his eyes scanned the place, stopping in a bag on the couch. "From now on you better let me keep the money."

The woman looked back at her son and couldn't hold her sobs. She whispered his name again and caressed his face, as if trying to heal his wounds. Mr. Todd, now watching her, could do nothing, but feel sorry for the woman. He knew the baker lost any line of reasoning when it came to the boy. It was obvious that the love she had for the boy exceeded any feelings she might have for another human being, even for the barber. However, as the intelligent woman he knew she was, the barber did not expect her to lose her reason so easily. Thus, he knew he should do something to help her.

"Better take care of him yourself." He spoke more seriously and stood up. Her eyes rose and showed a lot of disorientation. Frowning, she mumbled something incoherent, making the barber sigh. "Mrs. Lovett-"

"No! We need to find a doctor! I cannot-!"

"It's too cold outside."

He approached the woman and looked in her eyes, knowing that she would trust him. She quickly nodded her head, tears running freely by her red cheeks. Mr. Todd had never seen her cry before and there was a time where he thought she was not able to cry. He found himself completely wrong now. The woman was practically falling apart in front of him because of a boy she had met five months ago.

"I-I have a first aid kit in my room." She wiped her tears, her cheeks redder than before; she was probably feeling ashamed. "Would you mind to-?"

Mrs. Lovett stopped talking to see Mr. Todd pick up the boy, look at her and ask for assistance. The baker frowned in confusion as she felt her heart beat faster. Her stomach began to spin and her breath stirred. The sight was so wonderful and so amazing that made her sigh, completely tired of so many stupidities through her mind.

She wanted to curse him, scream at him and offend his honor, but she knew she would never have the courage to make him suffer, so she remained silent. After all, she could do nothing about it. Seeing that man have her beloved son in his arms made her heart melt and she knew just then that she had fallen in love for him all over again. Never thought she could love someone so much, him, her barber, yet there she was, wanting to kiss him. Still, she felt her heart break into pieces while a nagging voice in her head reminded her that this man in front of her would never be hers, and that she would have to live with that.

She frowned and inhaled deeply. She was extremely angry now. Why does life have to be so unfair? The only thing she ever wanted was a man to love her, regardless of his social status or appearance. He just needed to accept the love she has to give and she would do everything to be the best wife in the world and, perhaps, the best mom ever.

Such a shame dreams can't always come true.

"Follow me, please."

The barber simply nodded and followed her to the bedroom. When he set his foot inside the place, the simplicity of the furniture caught his eyes. The lack of light made him see little, but enough to leave him confused. There was a large bed placed against the window. He saw a wood wardrobe, slightly worn by time, and with some elegant details carved on the doors. A simple table with a tea set and two chairs stood on the other side of the room and looking more to the right he could see a rocking chair and a bookshelf with some old books and loose papers.

It was a surprise to him. His memories of Albert Lovett were of a man who did love the good and the best that money could buy. The pie shop gave him a lot of money and he did not seem afraid to spend all his earnings on frivolous things. Nevertheless, if her husband was wealthy man - probably with a fancy inheritance -, what led Mrs. Lovett to live in a place as simple as this? Her home should be the best of all! She should have inherited her husband's belongings, unless...Unless Albert had left her nothing. He spent all his money and left his wife by herself.

The barber frowned. That explained a lot. The poverty he found on his return to London, the disaster in business and, surely, the simplicity of the house. The lack of money in recent years made the woman think twice and sell all luxury items, replacing them with simple, but comfortable things.

Mr. Todd grunted slightly. The bastard had never treated his wife with kindness, probably saying she was nothing but a whore, not caring to think on what would happen to her if he died. Sure, he gave her food and clothes, a nice house to live, but she the only thing she wanted was a bit of his love, perhaps his friendship, not his money.

What a pity! The bastard was already dead. Mr. Todd would be delighted to kill him for abandoning his wife. His razors would have loved to meet his neck.

"Here it is."

He looked at the woman and saw that she had arranged to bed for the boy.

Mr. Todd laid him on the bed carefully and stopped to watch him for a moment. Now he could look at him more closely, Mr. Todd knew the punches would leave evident bruises on his face. His nose was bleeding, but did not seem to be broken. An ice pack would be enough to heal him, so there was no need for a doctor. However there was no way they could find a doctor in the middle of the night; it was too dark and obviously very cold outside. Not to mention that the snow outside would not let them leave the house.

"How can anyone do this to a child?" Mr. Todd heard Mrs. Lovett sigh as she wiped the blood from the boy's nose.

He watched her leave the room to find some ice and a cloth, and smiled a bit when he saw her enter the room, open the window and take the falling ice from the dark sky. She closed the window and turned back to sit in the bed, made an icepack and pressed it against the boy's bruised cheek.

Why – Mr. Todd now asked himself – do this to a child? Not even him, so used to the injustices of the world, could answer that. He knew he should not be surprised. Not at all. After fifteen years in a prison on the other side of the world, he had seen all kinds of atrocities. Countless were the stories that were told to him in his free time inside his cold, dark cell. He remembered that, to forget hunger, he tried to focus his mind on the silliest things, so he asked about the lives of other prisoners. In general, it was always the same. Betrayal and treachery! Men who have lost everything, just like him, as wife and children, for the vermin of the society, only power and ambition in their icy hearts. Benjamin wanted to scream while hearing such stories. He wanted to get out as quickly as possible, aiming to be able to cross these vast seas and ultimately find his family. He had hope, and that was what made him get out of there, only to find a world as bad as before.

Nothing seemed to be simple in his life.

"Mm…Mm-Mum?"

The boy's voice was weak and poor, but it was a good sign he is talking, meant that there was not anything serious. He opened one eye tentatively, groaning as he felt his mother pressing something cold against his sore face.

"Hush, dear." Mrs. Lovett offered him a loving smile. "That theif's gone. You're safe now. Mommy's here with you."

"Re-a-lly…? Oh!" He coughed blood and hissed in pain as he felt his belly hurt. That punch had been really painful. "I-I'm…S-Sorry…"

Mrs. Lovett wiped the blood from his face and caressed his stomach while pressed an icepack against his face. It was already starting to swell and she knew it would get worst. She kept healing him with kisses and warm smiles, she knew she was almost crying, but tried to hold on bravely, she didn't want her boy to think she was hurt or something.

Toby fell asleep as he felt his mother's hands caressing his face and stomach. Mrs. Lovett couldn't help but smile at her son's sleeping form and kissed his forehead. She covered him with a warm blanket to protect him from the cold and laid in bed to watch him sleep, completely forgetting the presence of her tenant in her bedroom. The barber doubted she would notice anything but the boy that night.

So he turned to leave and said:

"I'll get rid of the body."

He knew she had not heard his words when he got out the room and heard her singing to her son.

A lovely voice she had.

* * *

Sarah Clarke and Edward Rogers were the only two nurses at Westminster Hospital on that winter night in London. After a fateful day with many cases, both were waiting to go home and rest, but the owner of the hospital told them they would have to sleep there that night, 'cause a few doctors need their help with someproblematic patients.

Not that Edward minded. He enjoyed Sarah's company and had plans to ask her father, Professor John Peter Clarke, permission to court her properly. Some of the soldiers compliment him because young Edward had the luck to work with Ms. Sarah, such a beautiful young woman. Edward did not like when these men talked about his soon- to-be-bride, mostly because he was a very jealous man and sometimes used to lost his temper and fight those soldiers. In the end he always got a purple eye. He didn't mind, though. He was in love and you don't think much when you're in love.

"Still awake?"

He found her near the fireplace of one of the rooms in the hospital. The place was so big it did not lack places to hide and think about life, even if it was two in the morning.

"I got no sleep."

Sarah smiled when Edward pulled up a chair to sit next to her. Soon, she could feel her cheeks getting hot and she knew it was not due the hot tea she had in hands.

"Nightmares?" Edward asked worriedly.

She shook her head.

"No, thanks for asking. It's just my head reminding me of my father. He's not happy to have his younger daughter sleeping away from home."

With the mention of the old professor, Edward had to clear his throat.

"Well, he knowsof your...Responsibilities with the hospital."

"Yes, he does. But I can't help worrying about him. My mom knows how to deal with him, but I don't like knowing that he's worried about me." She sighed and took a sip of tea. "Not that I'm complaining. How many parents across England would allow their daughters to work in a hospital?"

"Not many, I believe." Sarah laughed at such a response. Edward smiled. "But, well, he trusts you."

"He does." She smiled and blushed a bit. "He also trusts you, you know."

Edward blinked, surprised. "He does?"

"Well, yes. He says he's glad to have you as my partner. Said you're a good man, a gentleman, hard to find these days."

Edward blushed. He wasn't expecting that. "Well, it's an honor. I-I'm glad he trusts me. I believe that makes things simpler than I thought."

Sarah frowned. "Simpler? Why do you say that?"

Edward cursed himself. Why he had to open his mouth?

"Ah, well, uh..."

Sarah smirked. She knew him better than that. They were raised together; their families were friends to each other. Edward was kind and loving, he was brave and jealous, but didn't know how to lie. If he tried to, Sarah would get him in the act, just like now. He was blushing, staring at his feet and murmuring a lot of nonsense.

He was extremely cute.

"Do you have problems with my father?"

"No!" He said, now looking at her. "I just-"

"Just?"

_"Hey, you two!"_

Sarah sighed. Why these soldiers had always to screw up things between her and Edward?

"What now?" Sarah asked in a "not so lady-like" way.

Soldier Johnson winked at her and she couldn't help laughing. He was a kind man, and funny most of times. He also knew that Edward was in love with Sarah and loved to make him jealous by making Sarah smile.

"What is it?" Edward asked suddenly.

"Dr. James is calling you both. Hard situation here."

"What happened?"

"Judge Turpin's ward was captured by a sailor. Fortunately, Captain Andersen saved her, but the lad scaped. She twisted her ankle."

Sarah frowned. "Seems simple. Why does Dr. James needs our help?"

"Oh, you have to see by your own eyes, lady. The girl is crazy!"

Sarah didn't need more excuses. She simple got up from her chair, put her tea down and left the place quickly. Edward looked at Soldier Johnson and sighed.

"Have a bad feeling about this."

The soldier nodded. "Me too."

* * *

Judge Turpin was having a hard week. It began perfectly, but then all turned upside down.

First he had bought one of the most beautiful whores across England. She was a brunette, had green eyes and full breasts. She did everything she was told and did not dare complain do. Turpin was guaranteed a satisfying night. However, quite obviously, every good thing has its bad side. His whore seemed to be too ambitious, like any other woman was in his mind. She had slept with a swindler much sought by law and who was able to pay her a little more. Turpin was furious, but tried to negotiate with the lad, after all, he didn't have to order another person's death. So they both made a deal and Judge Turpin was generous enough to give the lad two days to pay his debt.

He wasn't expecting more problems, though.

_A sailor named Anthony Hope wanted to take his precious Johanna away!_

Turpin felt the blood boil just thinking about the name of this idiot. The sailor had already made plans, but the judge would not allow them to come true. He hired spies to watch him and his "evil" plans came to his knowledge. Johanna, poor girl, was certainly deluded, but Turpin would help her... And send her to an Asylum to treatment. She was ill, he was sure, needed help and he would give it to her. That's because he loved her, she very similar to her mother, who died a few years ago.

Turpin wanted to smell the scent of her blond hair, feel her soft and virgin skin; no stupid sailor would take him the right to possess her!

Sighing annoyed, the judge looked through the window of his carriage. It was two in the morning when Mr. Bamford had contact him about the sailor and his ward. Johanna was at the hospital, but Anthony escaped. He knew it was a plot against his and Johanna's happiness and would try to find out who was the responsible for this. Someone was helping him, it was not possible! Certainly a dreamer or corrupt soldier...

Poor Judge Turpin, always suffering from headaches!

"My lord! My lord! Are you okay?"

Turpin nodded his head to the Beadle, who grinned at him, walking behind him, filling his head with information. He passed through the gates of the hospital and the first thing he saw was a doctor.

"Judge Turpin! It's an honor, my lord."

"Not time for introductions, doctor. Where is my ward?"

"Oh, the girl! Well, please, follow me, my lord."

"Wait here, beadle."

"As you wish, my lord."

Dr. James and Turpin began to walk through the corridors.

"How is my girl?"

"She's scared, poor girl, seems to had had a tough night. Fortunately for us, my best nurses were available."

"What happened to her?"

"Twisted her ankle, nothing too serious, but she will need to rest for a few weeks, my lord, maybe a month."

The judge simply nodded. He was tired of so many problems. He had enough problems at his job, the people around him, the whore he visit at Fridays and now his girl.

_"We need some help!"_ There was a desperate voice. The doctor and the judge quickened their pace, running to Johanna's room. Upon opening the door, they found a terrible scene.

_"No!"_

Johanna was fighting one of the nurses. The other one was lying on the floor, trying to get up. The girl, despite her twisted ankle, was stronger than she looked.

"What's happening here?" The doctor asked perplexed, staring at one of the nurses. Time seemed to stop when the judge entered the place and his eyes met Johanna's. Fear took hold of the girl and she started screaming.

"No, please, not him!" She tried to leave, but the nurse held her. Struggling, she kept screaming: "Anthony, help me!"

"Johanna, please, calm down! Don't you recognize your guardian?" Asked the doctor, but the girl was too scared to listen. She kept screaming.

"The demon possessed her." The judge murmured. He looked at the doctor and said, "Make her sleep."

The man obeyed. Ordered that nurses to hold the girl firmly so he could impose upon her an injection in her right arm. She tried to fight, but it was useless. She fell asleep and didn't wake up for the rest of the night.


End file.
